Bad Putting - Need More Toe Hang?

[dthrog00]

My putting is god awful. I've averaged 37.2 putts / 18 holes over my last 11 rounds. I've tried to practice more too, but it doesn't seem to help that much at the course.


I have a fairly upright stance basically per the Seemore guide and have my eyes well inside the ball. When I used to grip the putter with my normal swing interlock grip I'd get happy hands and sometimes miss some really short ones and generally have poor face control. I've since used the claw grip this year with my right hand just strictly supporting the putter grip. While I don't have statistics to show data I subjectively feel that I've improved. I rock my shoulders to putt trying to eliminate any hand/wrist action and have a pronounced arc.

Right now I use a Odyssey 2-Ball. I was lights out at the PGA SS when I bought it, but have lost a lot of confidence in it as I've missed so many putts. The biggest issue for me is distance control on lag putts. I leave them short. I leave them long. Then I miss the 2nd putt, DOH!

I've done reading and some people strongly recommend that if you set up as far inside the ball as I do that using a face balanced putter like the 2-Ball is bad news. They recommend more toe hang.

I bought an Odyssey Works Versa #9 yesterday from Budget Golf (with the outstanding 20% PGA CHAMP code) to try a maximum toe hang putter. I tried what #9s they had at Dick's over the weekend and while it is quite different than my 2-Ball it does seem a bit more natural... or maybe I imagine it is because I'm desperate to make more putts.

Does an inside eye position mean you need more toe hang? My new putter arrives Wed/Thurs and I will put it through the paces.

Any other suggestions besides more practice?

Regards
Dave

 

[mpeterson]

I gained a lot more consistency moving to a putter with more toe hang, and I stand pretty upright like you mentioned. That said, my issues were always direction, and not so much distance.

 

[Sox_Fan]

As a general rule, an arcing putter path supposedly works best with a putter with toe hang. I am not sure about the setting up with your eyes inside the ball and the effect that toe hang has on that, but you stated that you have a pronounced arc so the toe hang should help you close the putter face through impact.

 

[cnosil]

Based on what I have been taught the fact that you say you have an upright stance and setup inside the ball you need to have a heel shafted putter which is what the #9 is. Toe hang is a by product of where the shaft intersects the head.

My guess is that every time you miss you try to make an adjustment. You need to focus on rolling the ball on your intended line as you get better at doing that, you will get better at distance control since the face will be returning to the same angle at impact.

Unfortunately practice is really what is needed.

 

[dthrog00]

Unfortunately practice is really what is needed.

I look forward to it honestly. I just want to make more putts and am willing to work at it.

Dave

 

[cnosil]

I look forward to it honestly. I just want to make more putts and am willing to work at it.

Dave

A drill that really helped me get started and helped ensure I had the right putter is the following:

Put a dime about 16-20" in front of a ball. Setup and roll the ball over the dime. Do this with all different stroke lengths. Don't need a hole and can do this at home. If you can hit the dime at that distance you are hitting the ball well enough to make 10-15 footers. If you struggle with a consistent Miss this can be changed by changing your stroke or finding a putter that better fits your stroke. Try to avoid compensating for any miss You can make strokes with your eyes closed to get a feel for how you tend to swing the putter without vision changing what you are doing

Good luck!

 

[dthrog00]

The new putter (Odyssey #9 Versa Works) arrived today and I rolled some putts in the living room tonight with some good success.

I tried a new drill tonight that is a blatant rip off of Andy Gorman's Killer Putting drill where I placed quarters 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 feet from my Hank Haney practice cup. I took 2 sleeves of balls and putt at each quarter until I've made one from that distance and then move onto the next one or repeat the sequence. If I miss at a given quarter I repeat until I make it or I've had a miss with all 6 balls. One of the times doing this night I completed the sequence 4 times before failing the 5th time through.



Dave

 

[Boder]

Can't wait to hear how this translates to the course Dave. I went to a putter with toe hang this year and my putting has gotten much better.

 

[dthrog00]

Can't wait to hear how this translates to the course Dave. I went to a putter with toe hang this year and my putting has gotten much better.

Thanks! I hit some putts on a practice green tonight with great success, the #9 is a revelation for me so far. Let's see if it translates

Dave

 

[Canadan]

Dave,

I love that you're experimenting with different head shapes. In my experiences, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the putter that worst best for you, and there is no question in my mind that while most can make any putter work okay, there's always a perfect shape for your eyes and stroke.

While I appreciate the comment that practice is what is needed, I think proper technique is paramount to avoiding being a streaky putter vs a good putter.

 

[Tedfroop]

Body position is huge here too. The right length should have you swinging from the shoulders with quiet wrists and elbows. To me its the one true thing that translates to consistency. Simply put the more moving parts your putter swing has the more chances for inconsistency.

 

[cnosil]

Body position is huge here too. The right length should have you swinging from the shoulders with quiet wrists and elbows. To me its the one true thing that translates to consistency. Simply put the more moving parts your putter swing has the more chances for inconsistency.

No real reason to swing with your shoulders; that is simply a choice. You can find highly successful players that use shoulders, arms, left arm or right arm. The key is that you make a choice and understand how that choice impacts your stroke.